Department for Work and Pensions

Poverty: Older People

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government how many older people they estimate are currently living in (1) relative, and (2) absolute, poverty.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: National Statistics on the number of pensioners with low income are published annually in the “Households Below Average Income” publication and the latest available estimates are for 2020/21. The overall trend in the number of pensioners living in low income shows a fall over recent decades.(1) In 2020/21, there were 1.9 million pensioners in relative low income, before housing costs. This is a fall of 200 thousand since 2009/10. In 2020/21, there were 1.7 million pensioners in relative low income, after housing costs. This is a fall of 100 thousand since 2009/10.(2) In 2020/21, there were 1.5 million pensioners in absolute low income, before housing costs. This is a fall of 400 thousand since 2009/10. In 2020/21, there were 1.2 million pensioners in absolute low income, after housing costs. This is a fall of 400 thousand since 2009/10.The Government is committed to action that helps to alleviate levels of pensioner poverty. In 2022/23, we will spend £134 billion on benefits for pensioners in GB, 5.4% of GDP. This includes £110 billion spending on the State Pension in 2022/23. Subject to Parliamentary approval in April 2023 the State Pension and the Pension Credit standard minimum guarantee will increase by 10.1%. In addition, to reduce the risk of poverty for future pensioners, automatic enrolment into workplace pensions has transformed pension participation for millions of workers. To date, over 10.8 million people have been automatically enrolled into a workplace pension, with over 2.1 million employers complying with their duties.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Ethiopia: Armed Conflict

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the analysis published by the US Holocaust Memorial Museum on 20 December suggesting that, despite the peace deal in Ethiopia, civilians are still at heightened risk of atrocities; and what steps they are taking to address these risks, including in accordance with their Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability assessment.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: During his visit to Ethiopia on 8 December, the Foreign Secretary welcomed the peace agreement between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front and told Prime Minister Abiy that Ethiopia could rely on the UK's full support on its path to recovery and reconciliation. As the US Holocaust Memorial Museum blog points out the presence of Eritrean troops in Tigray and the increasing violence in Oromia is likely to lead to more atrocities against civilians. We urge the Eritrean Government to withdraw its troops in support of this peace agreement. We support the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE) and urge all parties to work with the Commission to allow it to fulfil its mandate to support the process of accountability for those responsible, and welcome the commitment in the peace agreement to create a comprehensive national transitional justice policy.

Iran: BBC Persian Service

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with the BBC concerning Persian Radio transmissions to Iran; and what was the outcome of those discussions.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The FCDO strongly values the BBC World Service's role in bringing high quality and impartial broadcasting to audiences around the globe, particularly where free speech is limited.Under BBC proposals announced on 29 September, while radio broadcasts for BBC Persian will cease, TV broadcasting will continue and investment in digital services will increase, reflecting audience viewing trends. In Iran, only 1% of the BBC's total weekly audience of 13.8 million access BBC news solely via radio. The BBC has provided assurance that it will continue to serve audiences in need, ensuring continued access to vital news services.We regularly raise the issue of the Iranian peoples' right to access independent media, including BBC Persian, with the Iranian government and in multilateral fora.

Nagorno Karabakh

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have undertaken a Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability assessment of the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh; and if so, what steps, if any, they have taken as a result.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: A Joint Analysis of Conflict and Stability (JACS) for the South Caucasus region, including the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh, was completed in early 2022. It recommended that the UK Government act, where it can, to address regional drivers of conflict in the South Caucasus and exploit opportunities for greater regional dialogue and cooperation. In line with this recommendation, the UK is spending £1 million on conflict-related programming in Armenia and Azerbaijan in 2022-23 through the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund. I [Lord Ahmad] spoke to Armenian Foreign Minister Mirzoyan on 15 December where I reinforced UK support for international efforts, including regional dialogue, to secure peace and stability in the region.

Jimmy Lai

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they have taken to ensure the health of the British citizen, Jimmy Lai, since he was incarcerated in Stanley Prison in Hong Kong.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of Jimmy Lai’s access to health care services in Stanley Prison in Hong Kong.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps, if any, they have taken to ensure Jimmy Lai receives proper diabetes treatment while being held in Stanley Prison in Hong Kong.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what assistance, if any, the British Consulate in Hong Kong has provided Jimmy Lai to maintain his health while he is imprisoned.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We remain concerned about the targeting of pro-democracy figures in Hong Kong, and are following these cases carefully. For data protection reasons I cannot share information about an individual without their permission.Accredited diplomats at our Consulate-General In Hong Kong will continue to attend Mr Lai's court proceedings.We continue to make clear to mainland Chinese and Hong Kong authorities our strong opposition to the National Security Law, which is being used to curtail freedoms, punish dissent and shrink the space for opposition, free press and civil society.

Jimmy Lai

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the refusal of the authorities in Hong Kong to allow imprisoned British citizen Jimmy Lai to meet with his legal representative Timothy Owen KC.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We remain concerned about the targeting of pro-democracy figures in Hong Kong and are following these cases carefully. For data protection reasons I cannot share information about an individual without their permission.Accredited diplomats at our Consulate-General in Hong Kong will continue to attend Mr Lai's court proceedings.We are analysing the recent interpretation of the Hong Kong National Security Law by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. As we have said, the National Security Law is being used to curtail freedoms, punish dissent and shrink the space for opposition, and we consider it to represent a clear and serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration.

Arab States: BBC World Service

The Lord Bishop of St Albans: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the strategic importance of the BBC World Service during the Arab Spring protests.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The FCDO strongly values the BBC World Service's role in bringing high quality and impartial broadcasting to global audiences, particularly where free speech is limited. The Integrated Review stated that the BBC's foreign language services are part of what makes the UK a soft power superpower.During the Arab Spring, news and information was fiercely contested. Disruptions to the internet, misinformation and a breakdown of trust in some national broadcast media gave greater significance to the BBC World Service for its objective and impartial reporting on events across the region.The Government remains committed to the World Service, and its important role in delivering trusted, accurate and independent broadcasting worldwide.

Cabinet Office

Public Expenditure

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Minister for Constitution) has had with other ministers regarding the post-Brexit funding arrangements.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: Ministers and officials regularly meet other Ministerial and departmental colleagues to discuss a range of issues, including those relating to the United Kingdom's departure from the European Union.Taking into account the financial settlement with the EU, an additional £14.6 billion of spending by 2024-25 has been allocated to the United Kingdom’s domestic priorities, rather than being sent in contributions to the EU. This spending was incorporated into the Autumn Budget and Spending Review 2021.https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/autumn-budget-and-spending-review-2021-documents.Hard copy of hyperlinked document (pdf, 3672.5KB)

Department of Health and Social Care

Nurses: Strikes

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, toinvolve the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) to resolve the nurses' strike.

Lord Markham: The Government is not looking currently to involve the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service in discussions about industrial action by nurses, but will keep our options open as we seek to find a solution.

Treasury

Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties

Baroness Worthington: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Autumn Statement announcement on vehicle excise duty (VED) changes,whether they intend to levy annual VED of £165 from 2025 on electric vehicles; whether pre-2017 petrol and diesel vehicles rated at less than 110 gCO2/km will continue to pay £20; and whether those rated 110–120gCO2/km will continue to pay £30; if so, what are their reasons for charging lower road tax on more polluting vehicles; and if not,what steps they will take to ensure that electric vehicles are not charged higher VED than more polluting vehicles.

Baroness Penn: In his Autumn Statement the Chancellor announced that electric cars, vans and motorcycles will begin to pay Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) in the same way as petrol and diesel vehicles from April 2025. With the EV transition accelerating, it’s right that all drivers start to make a fair tax contribution through changes to VED. The details requested are included in the Autumn Statement document and in the tax information and impact notes.